The Auction House

Great ambiance! You really do feel like you just stepped into a different world when you walk in there. Music is great bartenders really nice and fast, the quality of drinks could improve a little, but still it is a great place to hang out.

It’s tucked away in the side streets. Unassuming from the outside… And I feel like if you aren’t from or living in the ues you would have no idea this place even existed. But that’s the exact reason I love it so much!!!
–friendly, cool bartenders
–dim, candlelit, intimate atmosphere
–quiet, buzzing conversation and low music. Not a loud place by any means.
–great layout, lots of couches, plush chairs, and dark corners to sit and chat in (or make out. Or share secrets, break up. whatever). It feels like everyone can find their own little nook and cranny
–by everyone I mean not a lot! Which is great! The place is never overly crowded…
–reasonable drink prices. Standard bar. Solid cocktails
–old world décor, to me it was like having a drink in someone’s sitting room in the 1800’s… In America. Old portraits up everywhere, beautiful tapestries, rugs, rustic wood furniture. Cushions. Lived in elegance.
It’s a hidden gem. :) bring a special someone for a night cap. This def isn’t a place to rage
It’s a hidden gem :)

It’s decent. gives off a weird vibe tho. not sure why.
the drinks were not that great but moderately priced.
overall just ok. borderline 2 star tho.

4 stars for ambiance | 1 star for drinks
Nice 18^th-​century ambience and décor along with… Dive bar music, Willy Wonka on the TV, Whaaattt?
So we came here for good cocktails. Nope. Definitely not here. If you come here for the ambiance or with a date, I recommend not getting a cocktail. Cool place otherwise?

I came here last night and there were like 8 first dates going on around me lol that wasn’t the bad thing though. I feel like the place is a little too old, music is horrible and smells like my grandma’s attic, sorry guys but I am not coming back or recommending this place to go on a first, second, third etc date lol best of luck though

Pretty cool ambiance. Fancy drinks for $ 12– there was A LOT of alcohol them which., isn’t a bad thing? Pretty cool space, little couches and sitting areas at the bar. Will go back for a date or something, good for small groups…

This should be called the vampire bar, as it feels like vampires could actually be hanging out in the corners. Plush couches and purple drapes. It feels like something out of a book. Charming though, great spot for a day, maybe not a first as they may think you are going to kill them. But 2^nd or 3^rd? Perfect.
Cocktails are on point as well

A fabulous place! The bartenders are friendly and polite. I called them before my first visit and they were very helpful on the phone.
Oh, the drinks are great! As a former bartender myself, I could see their professional manner and awareness of making great cocktails! We ordered a ‘girl friday’ and a ‘honey and smoke.‘
And I loved the atmosphere! Will be back again!

The best hidden gem in the UES, or really the city for that matter
Love this place. Amaze for a highball or late night for a few with some friends
don’t come here all bachelorette party mode,
you feel like you are in an antique shop, mixed with a thrift tore mixed with a bar in a haunted castle.
love this place.

My favorite UES bar. I’ve been coming here for 4 years. Great, quiet, and sensual feel. It reminds me of a sexy vampire bar. Go there!

This place is really wacky and cool. Very… erotic. Lots of mirrors, old furniture. Not a place to bring your mom. Definitely a place to bring a Tinder date. It’s a great place for some fancy, creative cocktails.

It is a great place to go for a drink with a date or with a group of friends. They have good music that is loud enough to enjoy it and to let you have a conversation. The set up is antique style and very well organized.

Love this place.
Good drinks, cool atmosphere very different from the «bro-​magedon» on 2^nd.
Good date spot.
They are open on Thanksgiving night.
Nice comfy chairs and convo areas.
Good music.
One of my fave bars in ues.

We came here for an after party. The actual place looks amazing. It’s beautiful and feels like you stepped back in time. There are plenty of couches and seats around the place. The bartenders seemed friendly and on top of their game. I’m a big fan and hope to return.

Romantic dimly lit gem/​lounge on the upper east side. Velvet seating, large paintings with golden frames… Just beautiful. Seating is somewhat limited but I’ve never been there where it’s so crowded we couldn’t get a spot.
Wines are not the best so I would definitely recommend getting mixed drinks. And service can be slow.
But the ambiance /​atmosphere is definitely worth coming here for a date or to show friends a different type of upper east spot.

This place is very cool «local» spot, it’s not on any sort of thrillist (etc) list, definitely a place you only know about if you’re hip enough to find out about it. Or use Unilocal.
It’s more of a ~romantic~ type date spot, and a little fanicer, I’ve been here a few times and once I came in more summer clothes and thought they were gonna bounce me.
Also, if you have those weird hipster type clothes that make you look kinda like an old timey farmer with good taste, that’s the dress code (read: suspenders and handlebar mustaches).
The crowd is a little older (late 20s-​mid 30s), but the space is pretty big. You can typically find a place at the bar or on one of the velvet couches. The bar tenders are nice, and the speciality drinks are pretty good (not overly expensive).
Overall nice place to chill and talk but not ideal if you want to go out and get crazy.

Great date spot tucked away in the UES. Quiet locale, with décor reminiscent of a cross between Alice in Wonderland and Hogwarts with less lighting. Seating is VERY limited. The bar staff was great and fun to talk to.

Great place; awful drinks. Like another reviewer, my whiskey cocktail, supposed to be made with Gentleman Jack, was quickly and surreptitiously made with standard Jim Beam. Girlfriend’s drink tasted like watered down tobasco with the sting of cheap tequila. They both tasted like $ 4 rail drinks at a dive bar. Not the quality you’d expect from a cool place with $ 12 drinks.
Despite that, it’s a good date spot because of the great atmosphere. Feels like a haunted speak easy.

Really disappointed in the bartender. As a former, I love watching these guys make drinks. I could never be a premier mixologist. For whatever reason, he used the wrong ingredients in both of my cocktails and one of my date’s. I wasn’t going to make a big deal and look like a douche, but he used Knob Creek instead of Gentleman Jack and some kind of triple sec instead of Cointreau in mine. It’s a $ 12 cocktail. If the menu says you’re using GJ, that’s what you serve. Maybe I’m the first to notice.
The ambiance gets an A+. Great date spot. Hopefully they modify their menu to accommodate what they’re serving or they start serving the proper drinks.

With a first date planned for the Upper East Side coming up, I did a straw-​poll among NY-​based friends on Facebook asking for suggestions. The Auction House was one of the strongest contenders. A laid back speakeasy in UES? What’s not to like?
Disclaimer: I noticed a few Unilocalers write that the minimum age to enter was inconsistent. I actually called the venue to verify (using the phone number gratuitously provided in the business’ page). A detailed voicemail said they card for 25 and over only on Friday and Saturday (also, don’t even think about wearing real fur here, as according to the voicemail it’s against their dress code). Attire is casual but neat (my date wore shorts and a nice t-​shirt during the summer, and wasn’t given any trouble at all).
Given these unique specifications, I thought The Auction House would be liberally dispensing attitude. Not the case at all. The bartenders were friendly. The drinks were affordable. And the locale is surprisingly spacious and elegant – without being stuffy.
My date and I came here on a Tuesday night at 8; there were a handful of other couples, but we were able to pick our seats easily.
Next time I’ve got a date in the UES coming up (this time with another person, as things with my original date didn’t work out), I’ll strongly consider returning here.

I had the worst experience here. I went on a Saturday night with a group of 6 to celebrate a friend’s birthday. I was the first in and about to order a drink when my friend came up and said they wouldn’t let our friend (whose birthday it was) in. My first thought was dress code, but lo and behold this bar does not let anyone under 25 in. My friend was celebrating his 24^th birthday. He was the only one of us under 25 and we were a chill group of people just trying to have a couple drinks. We probably would have dropped a good amount of money in this bar. So at this point I’m upset, it really sucks to be turned away from a place on YOUR BIRTHDAY.
So I tried to discuss this with the bouncer and he was immediately rude and hostile. He escalated the conversation to a yelling match and even as my group walked away we could still hear him screaming from down the street. Talk about adding insult to injury. I actually approached a police officer down the street to ask if it is even legal. The cop said that an establishment has the right to refuse service. So I guess it’s legal, but a real downer if you ask me. Plus there’s no excuse for how rude and nasty the bouncer was. In this country you can drive at 16, go to war at 18, have a drink at 21, but you can’t have a drink at Auction House until you’re 25. Woo-​hoo, so much to look forward to. Give me a break. This place has lost my business indefinitely.

Agree with Maria B. that this feels like an old haunted mansion, but with really fab drinks and super nice bartenders. It’s 25% dive bar, 50% speakeasy, and 25% haunted mansion, I’d say.
Came in with a super cute date right upon opening on a Saturday night and ordered some sort of Honey/​Smoky drink, and the PBZ drink. Both were decently priced around $ 12 each. Order at the bar and they’ll wave you down when your drink’s ready.
Great drinks, nice atmosphere. Cool mirrors, antique lamps, and interesting furniture. Would definitely come back again. Do note that it can get a little loud though.

I grew up on the Upper East Side. Didn’t discover this place til around five years ago (not sure when they opened) but it’s become my uptown staple when I don’t want to go to a dive, or go to a fratty place like Dorian’s and especially since Elaine’s closed. It’s the most romantic spot on the Upper East Side to take a date for a drink and it’s tucked away on a side street off 2^nd avenue so you’ll seem like you know of a hidden spot if you bring someone there. Great place for a first kiss because there are a couple of love seats and nooks with chairs, not brightly lit.
The vibe reminds me of the East Village ten years ago, it’s romantic and cozy, but a little kitschy, with deep burgundy velvet drapes and decadent paintings but not too much kitsch. There’s a cute old public payphone inside. Not sure if it works.
Besides date night, you can also hang with friends in the seats or at the bar and its where I always go with friends when I’m back in town. I think it’s best for small groups, like max 4 people because of the layout. Cocktails are pretty good and around $ 12, more expensive than a dive, a little less than a really fancy trendy place. Once I was so psyched because the band Dead Milkmen came on the speakers! I’ve always had nice bartenders. Bathrooms are clean. None of that annoying new bar edison bulb, bartenders with waxed moustache BS, prohibition era stuff that’s so played out. I do wish they had a Pimm’s Cup on the cocktail list though!
Come for the atmosphere. Especially if you’re on the U.E.S. and want to get away from that U.E.S. sports bar, sorority girl scene.

This bar/​lounge feels like you’re stepping into a 1864 union bar shortly after the civil war ended. A weird way to describe it, but there are tons of old couches, paintings with golden frames, chandeliers, I think even an old tattered American flag. There is good seating space, but one downside is that they do not let anyone in younger than 25.